Feeding device for planing-machines.



No. 639,355. Patented Dec. I9, I899. J. R. THOMAS.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLANING MACHINES.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Shoets-ShoeI I.

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No. 639,335. Patented Dec. l9, I899. J. B. THOMAS. FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLANING MACHINES.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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N0. 639,3!5. Patented Dec. l9, I899.

J. R. THOMAS.

FEiEDlNG DEVICE FOR PLANING MACHINES.

(A iplication filed Apr. 24, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3:.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN RICKARD THOMAS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. A;

FAY & EGAN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR PLANlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent 0. 639,315, dated December 19, 1899; Application filed April 24, 1899- serial No. 714,275. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JOHN RICKARD THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and use:

-ful Improvement in Feeding Devices for Planing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices having for their object the feeding of stock in so-called wood-planing machines by means of rolls.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved means of feeding the stock in machines of the character described; and myinvention consists in providing feeding devices of the peculiar construction shown and described in which boards of uneven thickness may be fed through the machine simultaneously; in the peculiar mannerof gearing and hanging the roll for effecting the feed; in the peculiar pressure mechanism in which the force of the pressure may be exerted in a line substantially parallel to the lift of the roll and in a common plane with the center gearing between the roll and its actuating-shaft; in providing the, peculiar hanging and gearing for a feed-.roll hereinafter more fully described and claimed, in which the feed-roll is mounted at each end in a bearing secured to a housing mounted pive 'otally about its driving-shaft, with the housing and roll swinging about its pivotal point as a unit in parallel lines and having a gear in the face of the roll in its middle intermediate between its'ends meshing with a gear on the driving-shaft, with the two gears in a common plane and remaining in similar mesh throughout the various movements of the roll and housing, thus minimizing torsional strain and insuring a perfectly parallel lift to the roll against the driving agency acting against the raise of the roll at the point of usually greatest resistance, namely in its middle, and in providing a pressure device acting in the same plane with the center gearing; in so constructing and arranging the rolls, with their mounting and gearing, that two or moreof the center-driven rolls, mounted and having a parallel lift, as stated, and which may also be provided with a pressure agency in a common plane with the center gearing, as stated, may be placed side by side, so as .ner.

necting with changing fulcrums on a pressurea lever connecting with a pressure device to one side, and in providing a system of feed-rolls whose pressure is received from. a' pressurelever whose pivotal points connect solely with and are moved by the rolls themselves, and, further, in the parts and in the construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, showing the lower feed-rolls and the cutter-cylinder in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved device, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. tion of the roll-housing; and Fig. 5, a section of the rock-shaft and its hearings on the line w m, Fig. 3.

A represents the frame of the machine, in which suitable rolls B B may be hung in any suitable manner, preferably in a bed 0 of the machine. One or morecutter-cylinders, as at D, may be provided and disposed in suitable manner. One or more actuatingshafts l for the rolls hereinafter described may be provided, rotated, preferably, in a common direction in hearings in the frame by means of gears 3, secured thereto, receiving motion from a pinion 4, mounted on a stud 5, which pinion is in turn actuated by agear 7, rotating on a stud S in the frame of the machine and actuated in any suitable man- The shafts 1 may be provided transversely of the machine with one or more gears 10 10. The transverse shafts may also have hung thereon one or more housings 11 11, preferably journaled thereto at its ends in bearings 12 12. The housings may also carry bearings 13 13, in which a roll 14 may be journaled on a shaft 15. The inner hearing 13 may take into the recess 9 in the inner end of the roll. The roll*let is preferably provided in its middle, transversely of the machine or intermediate of its ends, with a gear 16, meshing with the gear 10 on the actuating-shaft and adapted to swing with the roll on the axis of the actuating-shaft. The housing is preferably yoke-shaped, having its bearings on the actuating-shaft in its extended ends, and provided with a hood 17,

Fig. 4 is a sideelevaextending over the gear 10. There may be one or more of these roller-housings and rolls hung side by side transversely of the machine. When more than one are so hung, two or more pieces of stock of substantially different thicknesses maybe fed through the machine side by side at the same time. The housings may also have lugs 21 extending therefrom, internally threaded to receive setbolts 22, adapted to rest upon cross-pieces 23 for the purpose of adjusting the normal height of the roll 14. A lock-nut 24 secures the set-bolt in place. The cross-piece 23 is fitted into grooves 25 in the frame of the machine.

A yoke 31 is adapted to span the machine and besecured thereto by means of bolts 32 and may have a depending projection 33, which latter may carry a bearing 34 for the shaft 1. A rock-shaft or rock-shafts 37 are hung in the yoke. The rock-shaft is preferably angled in cross-section, and it may be journaled in extensions 38 39, the extensions having an opening 40 of suflicient diameter to allow a sleeve 41 to bejournaled therein and secured against endwise movement therein in suitable manner. The angled shaft takes through the sleeves, and the sleeves act as the journals for the angled shaft. The rockshaft has an arm 45 extending therefrom and having an opening angled to correspond to the angled contour of the shaft taking therethrough. A link 46 is pivoted to the arm, as

at 47, and to the roller-housings, as at 48, the pivot 48 preferably being secured in lugs 50 in the housings. The link preferably exerts its pressure from the pressure device in substantially the line of rotation of the gears 10 and 16. The rock-shaft also has asecond arm secured thereto, to which a link 56 may be pivoted, as at 57, the other end of the link being pivoted to a pressure-lever 58 by a pivot 59, the lever also carrying a pressure device 60.

There may be one or more of the single ordouble rolls 14 longitudinally of the machine. \Vhen a series of two rolls are thus mounted, the arms 55 extend, preferably, in reverse directions, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the pivotal points 59 of the links 56 thereof being on a common lever 58, the lever preferably having no stationary fulcrum, but exerting its pressure on either of the rolls from its pivotal point of connection with the other roll as a fulcrum, the pressure-lever changing erted substantially in the line of its lift and at a point intermediate of the ends'of the roll and parallel to the force of the feed exerted by the gearing. The gearing exerts a downward pressure on the roll substantiallyin its middle, where the roll receives its main resistance against the feeding action, and the roll in its lift is raised with a rolling lift in a true circle in parallel lines about the gear which impels it, the housing in which it is mounted circling about the axis of the propelling-gear shaft, and is kept in constant similar mesh with its actuating-gear and lifted at the same time against a pressure exerted in substantially the plane of rotation of the gears located intermediate of its ends. When the stock has advanced su fficiently to strike the second roll, it will raise that roll in the same manner and with the same effect as it did the first, the rock-shaft through the medium of its arm and the link connecting with the pressure-lever raising the weight, using the pivotal connection between the lever and the link connecting with .the first roll as its fulcrum and throwing the entire pressure of the weight, increased by the raising action of the second roll, against the first roll, giving to that roll an increased power just at the instant that an increase in power is desired to cause the second roll to climb on the stock, which, has just impinged against it, and producin g an etfectively-discriminatin g pressure in such a manner that the pressure is automatically exerted where and at the time most needed and producing a powerful and uniform feed.

I am aware that it is old to drive feed-rolls at the middle of the roll, as exemplified in Letters Patent to myself, No. 397,151, dated February 5, 1889, and likewise old to hang a feed-roll in a housing at its ends, as exempli= fled in Letters Patent to Goldsmith, (Jruick shank, and Brown, No. 200,050, dated February 5, 1878, and I do not claim it to be new to construct a feed-roll separately in one or the other of the ways stated; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In afeedingdevice for planing-machines,- a feed-roll driven at its middle and hung at each side thereof pivotally to the axis of its driver, substantially as described.

2. In afeeding deviceforplaning-machiues, a feed-roll driven at its middle and hung at each side thereof pivotally to the axis of its driver, in combination with a pressure device for the roll substantially in the plane of its driving agency, substantially as described.

3. Inafeeding device for planing-machines, the combination of an actuating-shaft, a rollhousing, with bearings thereon for the actuating-shaft and pivotally adjustable thereon, a feed-roll rotatably mounted at its ends in the housing, a gear in the feed-roll substantially in its middle intermediate of its ends with the feeding-surface on the roll on each side of the gear, and a gear on the actuatingshaft meshing therewith, constructed and arranged for giving the feed-roll with its housingapa-rallelrollinglift and adjustmentabout the axis of the driving-shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a feeding device for planing-machines, of a feed-roll, a gear intermediate between its ends substantially in its middle with the feeding-surface for the roll at each sidd of the gear, bearings for the roll substantially equidistantly located from the gear, a housing supporting the bearings,a driving-shaft aboutwhich the housing is piw oted, bearings for the housing taking about the driving-shaft, a gear on the driving-shaft meshing with the gear in the roll, means for adjusting the housing on the axis of its bearings about the driving-shaft, constructed and arranged for adjusting and swinging the housing with its bearings about the driving-shaft in parallel lines, and imparting a parallel lift to the roll and rotating the feed-roll with its axis in the circle in which it swings, with the driving-gears between the feed-roll and the driving-shaft located in a common plane re spectively between the bearings of the feedroll and the bearings of the housing about the actuating-shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a feeding device for planing-machines, of a feed-roll, with a driving-gear therefor intermediate between its ends substantially in its middle with the feeding-surface for the roll at each side of the gear, a housing for the roll with bearings for the ends of the latter, an actuating-shaft, and

-a gear thereon meshing with the gear in the roll, with the gears in substantially a common plane, a bearing for the housing taking about the actuating-shaft on each side of the gear thereon, constructed and arranged for swinging the housing with its roll-bearings as aunit about the actuating-shaft, and rotating the feed-roll with its axis in the circle in which it swings with the bearings for the roll maintained in parallel lines, and giving the roll a parallel lift, with a pressure device operating on the housing in substantially the plane of the gears between the roll and the actuatingshaft, constructed and arranged substantially as described.

6. Inafeedingdeviceforplaning-machines, the combination of a frame, an actuatingshaft, a roll-housing mounted and pivotally adjustable thereon, a feed-roll rotatably mounted at its ends in the housing, a gear in the feed-rollsubstantiallyin its middle intermediate of its ends, with the feeding-surface for the roll at each side thereof, and a gear on the actuating-shaft meshing with the gear in the feed-roll,and constructed and arranged for giving a parallel lift to the roll, with a pressure device acting on the roll-housing above the feed-roll gear, constructed and arranged with the gears and the pressure de vice acting in a common plane, substantially as described.

7 In a feeding devicefor planin g-machines,

the combination of a frame, a feed-rol1,a gear intermediate between its ends with the feeding-surface for the roll at each side thereof, bearings for the roll located substantially equidistantly from the gear, a housing supporting the bearings, a driving-shaft about which the housing is pivoted, bearings for the housing taking about the driving-shaft, a gear on the driving-shaft meshing with the gear in the roll,means for adjusting the housing on the axis of its bearings about the driving-shaft, constructed and arranged for adjusting and swinging the housing with its bearings for the roll as a unit about the axis of itsbearings about the driving-shaft in parallel lines, and imparting a parallel lift to the roll and rotating the feed-roll with its axis in the circle in which it swings, with the driving-gears between the feed-roll and the driving-shaft arranged and operating in a common plane and located respectively between the bearings of the feed-roll and the bearings of the housing about the actuatingshaft, substantially as described.

S. In afeedingdeviceforplaning-machines, the combination of a frame, a feed-roll, with a drivinggear therefor substantially in its middle intermediate between its ends, with 5 the feeding-surface for the roll at each side thereof, a housing for the roll, with bearings for the ends of the latter, an actuatingshaft, and a gear thereon meshing with the gear in the roll, with thegears arranged and operating in a common plane, a bearing for the housing taking about the actuating-shaft'on eitherside of the gear thereon,and constructed and arranged to raise the housing with its roll-bearings as a unit about the actuatingshaftwith the bearings for the roll maintained in parallel lines, and giving the roll a parallel lift, with a pressure device operating on the housing in substantially the plane of the gears between the roll and the actuating shaft,constru3ted and arranged substantially as described.

9. The combination, in a feeding device for planing-machines,of a frame, a feed-roll,with a gear 16 in the roll intermediate between its ends and having the feeding-surfacefor the roll upon each side thereof, a housing 11, with bearings 13 for the ends of the roll located on the housing at one end thereof, an actuatingshaft 1, a driving-gear 10 on the actuatingshaft meshing with the roll-gear and operating in a common plane therewith, bearings 12 at the other end of the housing taking about the actuating-shaft, with an adjustment for the housing for raising and lowering the feedroll with relation to the frame, and constructed and arranged for adjusting and swinging the housing with its roll-bearings as a unit housing and located in substantially the plane of the driving-gear 10 and the gear 16 in the feed-roll, with a pressure device connected to the rock-shaft, and constructed and arranged for exerting pressure on the housing above the feed-roll in substantially the plane of the gears 10 and 16, substantially as described.

10. In a feeding device for planing machines, the combination of a frame, an actuating-shaft 1, an actuating-gear 10 secured thereto, with a roll-housing 11, having bearings 12 taking about the actuating-shaft on each side of the actuatinggearlO, with the latter gear intermediate between the ends of the housing, an adjustment for the housing adjusting the same and raising and lowering the feed-roll relatively to the frame and pivotally about the actuating-shaft, a bearing on each sideof the swinging end of the roll-housing, a feed-roll journaled at its ends in the latter bearings, with a gear in the feed-roll substantially in its middle intermediate of its ends, with the feeding-surface for the feedroll upon each side of the gear, the latter gear located in the same plane with the actuatinggear 10, and constructed and arranged for adjusting and swinging the housing with its bearings for the roll as a unit about the pivotal point of the housing in parallel lines and imparting a parallel lift to the roll and rotating the feed-roll with'its axis in the circle in which it swings, with a pressure device for the housing, acting against the roll-housing in substantially the same plane with the gears, substantially as described.

11. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a frame, an actuating-shaft l, a driving-gear 10 secured thereto, a feed-roll housing 11, bearings for the housing taking about the shaft on each side of the driving-gear with the driving-gear between them, a feed-roll 14 journaled in the swinging end of the housing at its ends, an adjustment for the housing for pivotally adjusting the same about the actuating-shaft with relation to the frame, a gear 16 in the feed-roll substantially in its middle intermediate of its ends meshing with the drivinggear and located in a common plane therewith, with the feeding-surface on the feedroll upon each side of the gear therein, a rockshaft 37, bearings in the framefor the rockshaft, an arm 45 secured to the rock-shaft, with a link 46 pivotally connected with the arm and the housing, with the arm, the link,

their pivots, and the gears 10 and 16 located and operating in substantially a common plane, with a weighting device acting on the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

12. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a frame, an actuating-shaft 1, a driving-gear 10 secured thereto, a feed-roll housing 11, bearings for the housing taking about the shaft on each side of the driving-gear with the driving-gear between them, a feed-roll 14 journaled in the swinging end of the housing at its ends, an

adjustment for the housing for pivotally adjusting the same about the actuating-shaft with relation to the frame, a gear 16 in the feed-roll substantially in its middle'intermediate of its ends meshing with the drivinggear, and located in a common plane therewith, with the feeding-surface on the feedroll upon each side of the gear therein, a rockshaft 37,'bearings in the frame for the rockshaft, an arm 45 secured to the rock-shaft, witha link 46 pivotally connected with the arm and the housing, with the arm, the link, their pivots and the gears 10 and 16 located and operating in substantially a common plane, an arm 55 secured to the rock-shaft, with a link and weighting-lever connected with the latter arm for exerting pressure on the feed-roll, substantially as described.

13. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a frame, an actuating-shaft 1, a driving-gear 10 secured thereto, a feed-roll housing 11, bearings for the housing taking about the shaft on each side of the driving-gear with the driving-gear between them, a feed-roll14 journaled in the swinging end of the housing at its ends, an

adj ustment for the housing for pivotally adjusting the same about the actuating-shaft with relation to the frame, a gear 16 in the feed-roll substantially in its middle intermediate of its ends meshing with the drivinggear and located in a common plane therewith, with the feeding-surface on the feedroll upon each side of the gear therein, an angular rock-shaft, with the arms 45 and 55 having corresponding angular apertures and slipped over the rock-shaft, bearings for the rock-shaft on the frame, with sleeves 41 on the rock-shaft having journals thereon for the bearings, an arm 45 secured to the rockshaft, with a link 46 pivotally connected with the arm and the housing, with the arm, the link, their pivots, and the gears 10 and 16, located and operating in substantially a common plane, with an arm 55 secured to the rock-shaft, and a link and weighting device connected with the latter arm for exerting pressure on the feed-roll, substantially as described.

14. Ina feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of an actuating-shaft, a roll-housing, a feed-roll, bearings in the housing for the feed-roll, hearings in the housing taking about the actuating-shaft substantially in a line at right angles to the axis of the roll taken through its bearings, a gear in the roll substantially in its middle, a gear on the actuating-shaft meshing therewith, with a rock-shaft, a link extending therefrom and connecting with the roll-housing in substantial line with the gears between the actuating-shaft and the roll, and a pressure device for the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

15. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a pair of feed-rolls, links connecting with the feed-rolls, a pressure-lever hung solely to the links, each of the links acting alternately as a fulcrum for the pressure-lever,substantially as described.

16. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of apair of feed-rolls, links connecting with the feed-rolls, a pressure-lever hung solely to the links, each of the links actingalternately as a fulcrum for the pressure lever, and a pressure device hung to one side of the fulcrums, substantially as described.

1'7. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a pair of feed-rolls, a pair of rock-shafts, a connection between the rock-shaftsan'd the feed-rolls, links connectin g with the rock-shafts, a pressure-lever hung solely to the links, each of the links acting alternately as a fulcrum for the pressurelever, substantially as described.

18. In a feeding device for planing-ma chines, the combination ofa pair of actuatingshafts, a pair of housings pivotally mounted thereon, a pair of feedrolls mounted in the housings, a pair of rock-shafts, links connecting the rock-shafts with the housing, links connecting with the rock-shafts, a pressurelever hung solely to the links, each of the links acting alternately as a fulcrum for the pressure-lever, and a pressure device to one side of the fulcrum, substantially as described.

19. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a pair of feed-rolls, a pair of rock-shafts, links connecting the rock-shafts with the feed-rolls from the same side, links connecting with the rock-shafts from opposite sides, and a pressure lever hung solely to the latter links, substantially as described.

20. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a frame, an actuating-shaft, a plurality of roll-housings, a plurality of feed-rolls for the housings normally having a common axis, each center geared from the actuating-shaft, pivotal bearings on each of the housings at one end thereof taking about the actuating-shaft, bearings at the other end of each of the housings for its feed-roll, with gears between the actuatingshaft and each feed-roll in a common plane substantially in the middle of the feed-roll, With each feed-roll arranged for swinging with its housing independently about the actuating-shaft in parallel lines, and maintaining its axisof rotation in the circle in which it swings, and an adjustment for each roll-housing for raising and lowering each roll inde-- pendently with relation to the frame pivotally about the actuatingshaft, substantially as described.

21. In a feeding device for planing-machines, the combination of a plurality of actuating-shafts, a plurality of roll-housin gs for each shaft adjustable on the axis of the latter, a plurality of feed-rolls for the housings, the feed-rolls for each actuating-shaft centergeared therefrom and having their axes of rotation in the circle in which the rolls are adjusted, a plurality of rock-shafts connecting with the roll-housings, links connecting with the rock-shafts and pressure-levers connected solely to the links, each of the links acting alternately as a fulcrum for the pressure-lever, and pressure devices connecting with the levers to one side of the fulcrums, substantially as described.

22. In a feeding device for planing-niachines, the combination of a frame, a plurality of feed-rolls arranged side by side, a gear intermediate between the ends of each roll with the feeding-surfaces for each roll at each side thereof and the feeding-surfaces for the rolls normally in a common plane with their inner ends in juxtaposition, bearings for each roll located substantially equidistantly from the gear, a housing for each roll supporting the bearings therefor, a driving-shaft about which the housings are pivoted, bearings for each housing taking about the driving-shaft, a gear for each roll on the driving-shaft meshing with the gear in the roll, means for adjusting each housing on the axis of its bearings about the driving-shaft, constructed and arranged for adjusting and swinging each housing with its bearings for its roll as a unit about the axis of its bearings about the driving-shaft in parallel lines, and imparting a parallel lift to the roll and rotating the feed-ro1l with its axis in the circle in which it swings, with the driving-gears between each feed-roll and the driving-shaft, arranged and operating in a common plane and located respectively between the bearings of each feed-roll and the bearin gs of its housing about the actuating-shaft, substantially as described.

23. In a feeding device for planing-Inachines, the combination of a frame, a plurality of feed-rolls arranged side by side with a driving-gear for each feed-roll substantially in its middle intermediate between its ends, with the feeding-surface for the roll at each side thereof, and the feeding-surfaces for the rolls normallyin a common plane with theirinner ends in juxtaposition, a housing for each roll, with bearings for the ends of the latter, an actuating-shaft, and a gear thereon for each roll meshing with the gear in the roll, with the gears between each roll and the actuating-shaft arranged and operating in a common plane, a bearing for each housing taking about the actuating-shaft on each side of the gear for its roll thereon, constructed and arranged for swinging each housing with its roll-bearings as a unit about the actuating-shaft with the bearings for each roll maintained in parallel lines and giving each roll a parallel lift,

with a pressure device operating on each housing in substantially the plane of the gears be tween its roll and the actuating-shaft, constructed and arranged substantially as de scribed.

JOHN RICKARD THOMAS. Witnesses:

PARKE S. JOHNSON, EMIL RAPP. 

